PRETTY YOUNG WOMAN SITTING ON PRETTY UNUSUAL CHAIR IN CANTON, OHIO

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A pretty young woman appears to be comfortable enough as she sits on an unusual chair and poses for her  portrait at the Manly & Son studio in Canton, Ohio. She is holding a small fan and displays a faint smile as she leans toward the camera. She is wearing a ruffled dress with a striped collar and is also wearing a pin. Note the fringed chair and also notice the floor lamp. At least it appears to be a floor lamp. Could it possibly be an odd looking table? The woman is wearing a hat, but due to her puffy curly hair, the hat appears to be floating on her head. Research provided some information concerning photographer George Watson Manly but the more interesting story concerns his wife Angeline Stewart Manly. George was born in New York in about 1824. George appears to have begun his photography career in Akron, Ohio. He started out as a dagguerreotypist beginning 1859. The 1870 US census confirms that George was working as a photographer in Akron and that he was married to Angeline who was seven years his junior. The couple had three children in the household; Sabray (age 24), William (age 18), and Clifford (age 10).The boys were presumably George and Angeline’s sons. Also in the household was a young relative of Angeline and a young Irish couple. The husband of the Irish couple was listed as a photographer and he was likely an assistant to George. One source asserts that George stayed in Akron until 1873, and during some of his time in Akron he also had a studio in Salem, Ohio. It is not clear when he moved to Canton, but he is listed in Canton business directories by at least 1881. So what is the story concerning George’s wife, Angeline? The story is that Angeline Stewart Manly was a major figure in the temperance crusade in both the city of Akron and in the state of Ohio. She served as Akron’s city representative to the first state convention. The convention organized the Women’s Temperance League of Ohio and Manly was elected President. In 1883, Manly published a novel called “Hit and Miss: A Story of Real Life”. It is not known why George and Angeline moved to Canton from Akron. George died in Canton in 1900 and Angeline died there in 1913.

Published in: on December 3, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (1)  
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PRETTY WOMAN WITH FRIZZY HAIR IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

This cabinet card features a pretty woman with frizzy hair. She is wearing a dress with a high collar and a long necklace. The photographer did an excellent job of capturing the woman’s facial expressiveness. The Holdmann Photo Studio produced this image. The propietor of the studio was Edward Lutzenberger and the studio had a location in both Chicago, Illinois and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Printing on the reverse of the photograph indicates that this image came from the Milwaukee studio. Also on the reverse of the photograph is printed guarantee and request for feedback that could be seen on any internet auction site. Lutzenberger guarantees that photographic portraits from his studio would not fade. The statement that sounds like it could be from modern day times is “If you are pleased tell others, if not tell us.”  Lutzenberger probably purchased his studio from Charles Holdmann (1851-?).  Holdmann’s studio was located at 224 Grand Avenue in Milwaukee. The 1900 US census reveals that Edward Lutzenberger lived at his mother-in-law’s house with his wife Anna Drager Lutzenberger and their one year-old daughter Norma. Lutzenberger and his wife married in 1897. Both Edward and Anna were born in Wisconsin. Edward was of German descent. He was employed as a photographer. The 1910 US census reports that Edward and his wife and daughter remained in Milwaukee and Edward was still working as a photographer. The 1920 census lists Edward and Anna as still living in Milwaukee with their, then 20 year old daughter Norma. There was a new addition to the household. Norma had a six year old son named Edward. It seems young Edward was born when Norma was around 14 years old. Norma was employed at the time of the census as a stenographer. The 1930 and 1940 census found Edward and Anna living in Milwaukee and Edward was working for the Railroad police. Milwaukee business directories list Edward as a photographer from 1894 through 1913. He certainly may have worked as a photographer in additional years but research could not document other years.

Published in: on December 2, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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UNIFORMED BAND MEMBER IN NEW YORK CITY

The young uniformed man in this cabinet card portrait appears to be a band member. However, it is also possible that he may be a cadet, a fireman, or a member of some other type of organization. His belt buckle has the letter “C” and the badge on his hat has the number “7”. Hopefully, a visitor to the cabinet card gallery may be able to pinpoint the exact type of unit that this subject represents. The photographer of this image is A. J. Hargrave. At the time of this photograph he was located at 68 West 23rd Street in New York City. To learn more about Hargrave and to view more of his photographs, click on the category “Photographer: Hargrave”.

Published in: on December 1, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (2)  
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A WOMAN IN A LONG DRESS POSES WITH HER BICYCLE

This photograph features a woman and her bicycle. It must have been very difficult for a woman to ride a bike in a such a long dress. Hand printed on the reverse of the photograph is the message “A Merry Xmas”. This photograph has been trimmed and as a result, the photographer is unknown.

Published in: on November 30, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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WOMAN IN BUSTLE STYLE DRESS IN OMAHA, NEBRASKA

This  photograph features a woman in a bustle style dress posing for a full length portrait at the Gray studio in Omaha, Nebraska. The dress seems to play a more prominent role than the subject in this cabinet card image. In 1884 Howard E. Gray took over the Bee Hive Gallery at the address listed on this cabinet card. In about 1886 he changed the name of the studio to the H. E. Gray Studio. Omaha business directories indicate that he was operating a photography studio in Omaha  from 1884 through 1896. The 1896 directory announces that Gray had moved to Houston, Texas. Research was able to pick up Gray’s trail in Houston. Business directories state that he was a photo retoucher in in 1897 and from 1899 through 1911 operated a photography studio. Research yielded no definitive information about his family. He may be listed in the 1900 US census but there is no confirmation that Howard E. Gray listed is the same Howard E. Gray who worked as a photographer. The 1900 census Mr. Gray was 36 years-old and married to Maggie Gray (age 38). The couple was married in 1885 and had a son named Elmont (age 12). Interestingly, the census Mr Gray was listed as working as a stenographer. To view other photographs by Gray, click on the category “Photographer: Gray (NE)”.

Published in: on November 29, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF A TIRED OLD MAN IN TEXAS (PHOTOGRAPH BY CAPTAIN HARVEY ROBERTS MARKS)

This image captures the portrait of a tired looking old man. This gentleman appears to have had better days. He looks exhausted and troubled. This photograph was taken by the Mark’s studio in Austin, Texas. The photographer of this cabinet card lived an interesting life and he was both a pioneer of Texas and a pioneer of photography. Harvey Roberts Marks (1821-1902) was a well known photographer who worked in a number of locations. He was active in Baltimore, Maryland (1849-1853), San Francisco, California (1851), Mobile, Alabama  (1856-1859), Houston, Texas (1865-1870), and Austin, Texas (1870-1902). He was born in New York City. He first arrived in Texas in 1838 and received a very large land grant in Harris County (Houston). He enlisted in a company of Texas Rangers in 1840 and reached the rank of Captain. He was married to Emily H. Bassan in 1849. Research indicates that she was  member of one of the most prominent families in Baltimore. In 1849 he was Jacob Shew’s partner in the Shew and Mark’s Gallery in Baltimore. He continued the gallery alone when Shew left Baltimore until 1851. The 1850 census revealed that he had three assistants in the gallery and took 5,000 daguerreotypes annually. In 1851 he took photographs of castaways from a Japanese ship involved in an incident that caught national attention. Mark’s moved to Austin in 1870 and opened a gallery a year later. During that time he became Vice President of the National Photographic Association. Marks served during the civil war. He was a member of the Houston Battalion, Texas Infantry (Detailed Men). Research was unsuccessful in gathering this Confederate regiment’s history. Marks entered the regiment and left the regiment as a Captain.  Interestingly, when former Confederacy President, Jefferson Davis, visited Austin in 1875, he sat in Mark’s studio for his portrait. He died at the age of 81.

Published in: on November 28, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (1)  
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THREE PRECIOUS KIDS IN TEKAMAH, NEBRASKA

This cabinet card features three precious little children wearing adorable outfits. The child in the center of the image is holding a rake and wearing a large bow tie and a straw hat. The two girls are flanking the little boy in the middle and each girl is holding their hat. There is a basket of flowers on the floor in front of the trio of children. The photographer of this image is the Mathison studio in Tekamah, Nebraska. Ingbert L. Mathison (1868-1935) was born in Denmark in 1868. He came to America with his parents at the age of 2. He grew up in Iowa and came to Tekamah, Nebraska in 1891. He became a photographer and later added furniture sales to his business. The 1900 US census reveals that Mathison was married to Grace Theodoria Christy (1870-1902) and the couple had four children between the ages of 3 and 9. Two years after this census, Grace died, leaving Ingbert with four young children. Ingbert soon got remarried. His new bride was Mary Etta Slaughter (1873-1939). The Mathison family then moved to a community outside of Denver, Colorado. Ingbert worked as a farmer, and later, a grocer, in Colorado. He died in a Denver hospital in 1935 at the age of 67. The cause of death was hemorrhages of the stomach.

Published in: on November 26, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (5)  
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THEO SPARKS: A HANDSOME YOUNG MAN WITH A HANDLEBAR MUSTACHE

An inscription on the reverse of this image indicates that this handsome well dressed young man was named Theo Sparks. He looks quite spiffy with his winged collar shirt, wide tie, and handlebar mustache. The photographer was not identified nor was the location of the photographer’s studio. Despite a paucity of information, research found some biographical information about Mr. Sparks. Theo Sparks (1870-1956) was born in Indiana. The 1880 US census finds him at age 10, living in Linton, Indiana.He lived with his parents, Peter S.  and Mary E. Sparks. His father was a farmer. He  lived with four older siblings, Iris (age 18), Orian (age 17), Ishmel (age 14), and Pascal (age 12). He also lived with three younger siblings, Marco (age 8), Eura (age 6), and Cush (age 2). Also living with the family was Theo’s fraternal uncle, Wesley Sparks. Theo and his siblings had very unusual and interesting names. Peter and Mary Sparks deserve kudos for their creativity in baby naming.The 1900 census finds the 29 year-old Theo Sparks living in Denver, Colorado and newly married to Maud Sparks (age 24). He was working as a motorman. According to the 1910 census, Theo and Maud still lived in Denver and had four sons, Rolland (age 8), Warren (age 5), Glen (age 4), and Jorville (age 3 months). It seems Theo and Maud continued Theo’s parents tradition of giving some of their children unusual names. Theo supported his family with his income from working as a street car motorman. The 1920 through 1940 censuses indicate that Theo and Maud continued to live in Denver with different members of their family being part of their household in each of the censuses.

Published in: on November 25, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (6)  
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THIRTEEN TEENAGE GIRLS POSE AT PAJAMA PARTY? STAGE PRODUCTION? WEDDING? (DECIDE FOR YOURSELF)

What is happening in this unusual and interesting cabinet card photograph? Your guess is as good as mine. There are thirteen teenage girls in this image who seem to be celebrating something. The girl in the center of the photograph is wearing a crown or veil and is flanked by two girls pressing their hands up against each other as if to create a steeple.. Are they holding a train of a dress? The girl in the bottom row, second to the right, is also holding something, but what is it? Too many questions, and too few answers. Note the girls hairstyles, or lack of hair styles. Long and disheveled hair seems to be the fashion in this photograph. Do you think that this photograph captures a stage production? A Pajama Party? A Wedding? What is your best guess? This photograph was produced by the Bailey studio located at 86 North Third Street, in Columbia, Pennsylvania. Most likely, the photographer of this photograph is William Bailey (born about 1854). At some point in his career he operated a studio in Columbia. His father David Bailey (born about 1830) and his brother (born about 1861) were also both photographers. The 1880 census finds all three of these men living in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania which is located about 80 miles from Columbia. To view other photographs by William Bailey, click on the category “Photographer:  Bailey”.

Published in: on November 24, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (4)  
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MEET THE HERSHEY FAMILY OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA

I remember the excitement that I felt shortly after purchasing this photograph. I had flipped the photograph over to the reverse side and found an inscription which identified the three subjects in the photograph. The three names were “Harry E. Hershey, Dora  E. Hershey” and “Frances Mayer Hershey”. The photograph was dated “1907”.  Seeing the “Hershey” name, and noting that the photograph was from a studio in Lancaster, Pennsylvania made me think that the subjects of this  photograph could be quite interesting. The Hershey family is quite important in the history of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Think  Hershey Chocolate! I knew that the founder of  Hershey Chocolate was Milton Hershey but I thought perhaps that Harry E. Hershey may have been an integral part of the business, or in some of the family’s other enterprises. Research found no such connection between Harry or Milton. The 1880 census found Harry Elmer Hershey (1863-1911)  at age 16 living with four older siblings and his parents (Jacob and Annie Hershey) in East Hempfield, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The 1900 census listed the 36 year old Harry as married to 30 year old Dora Elizabeth Mayer Hershey (1870-1924). They were newlyweds having been married just three months. Harry, Dora, and both sets of their parents were all born in Pennsylvania. Harry was listed as working as a treasurer of a hardware company. A  number of business directories between 1888 and 1907 reveal that he worked in this position for many years. The 1910 United States census adds 8 year old daughter Frances Mayer Hershey (1902-1994)  to the family unit. The 1920 census indicates that 17 year old Frances and her mother lived together and both were unemployed. Harry had been dead for nine years. This Hershey family portrait features a well dressed family. Harry and Dora are both smiling, and cute little five year-old Frances’s body language seems to be saying, “Hey, don’t forget about me”. The photographer is the Miesse studio in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. D. Walter Miesse (1878-1964) had a studio at 24 West King Street in Lancaster between 1894 and 1940.

Published in: on November 20, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (4)  
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